‘El Chapo’ Son and ‘El Mayo’ Zambada Arrested in Texas

Image Credit: AFP via Getty Images

The son of jailed Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera—who has been serving a life sentence in the US since 2019—was arrested along with a cartel co-founder who helped lead it for three decades on Thursday, July 25, by the FBI, federal authorities announced.

Joaquín Guzmán López, 38, and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García, 76, have both been indicted in the U.S., and they face “multiple charges” in connection with the Mexico-based criminal organization, “including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland in a statement.

In the wake of the surprise arrests of two alleged Mexican drug lords in Texas, three law enforcement officials say that investigators believe one of the men may have fooled the other into getting on a plane to the U.S. The Wall Street Journal reported that Zambada was tricked into boarding the plane by a high-ranking Sinaloa member following a months-long operation by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI.

U.S. authorities say they’ve arrested two of the most powerful drug traffickers in the world, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a long-time leader of a major Mexican cartel and Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of “El Chapo.” Both men are in custody in El Paso, Texas. pic.twitter.com/Nubwe6L8t9

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) July 26, 2024

Guzmán was flown by authorities to Chicago, while Zambada remained in El Paso.

The infamous drug trafficker, one of the three founders and, until now, leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, appeared in court in El Paso on Friday for an initial appearance. He entered a not guilty plea and waived his arraignment and detention hearings, according to court records.

It is an unprecedented blow to two of the most wanted drug traffickers in the world, accused of extortion, corruption, drug trafficking, and money laundering.

Zambada was indicted in Brooklyn in February for fentanyl trafficking, among other charges, and both men are facing multiple charges in the U.S. for leading the cartel’s criminal operations, including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks.

“Garcia and Guzman have allegedly overseen the trafficking of tens of thousands of pounds of drugs into the United States, along with related violence,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement.

Lopez is one of El Chapo’s 12 children, four of whom go by the nickname “Los Chapitos” because they are accused of being heavily involved in Sinaloa’s operations. Lopez was first indicted on federal drug trafficking charges in 2018 and has had multiple charges since then.

President Joe Biden on Friday commended law enforcement for making the arrests and “their work to bring Sinaloa Cartel leaders to justice.”

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